Bowling-game apparatus



5 6 0, .6, l w A H s D A R B G.

May 17, 1927.

BOWLI NG GAME APPARATUS Filed March a, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nwf,

' May 17,1927. 1,629,065

G. BRADSHAW BOWLING GAME APPARATUS Filed March e, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 17,1927.

n UNITED STATES vIYVAIEN'I OF'FIC E. l

enANv'ILLE BRDSHAW, or LoNnoN, ENGLAND.

BOWLING-GAME ArPAnA'ros.

Appncanen filed Marot s, im, smal No- This: invention rel-ttes to certain: new and useful improvenzieutsl in `@gaine apparatus of the class having' targets which when struck by anobje'ct will be ino-ved to release actuating means for indicators.

The object of the invention is, to provide a gaine apparatus which embodies an alley, targets which are moved when struck by a manually thrown object, the targets being coordinated. with meun's for Vreleasing particular indicators which upon being released present to view symbols: cru-riferi; by said indicators. Y

Arr apparatus constructed. in accord with the invention provides a game apparatus endl combined. therewithr advertising means operatively maintained so that when a target is struck, power actuating means will be released to' move: indicator, the target being `of, such character as to form a continuance when struck of the' alley bed in order that the missile actuatii-ig the'trget will be guided into a receptacle connected with a return runway.. v Y

rlie invention consists off gamev apparatus which embodies an `alley, targets which are pivoted. below and beyond the end of the alley' bed', a structure beyond the end. of the alley bed constructed to receive or balls, and ani upright structure which. main tains indicators andI actuating` means there` for, said. actuating means being associated with indicators which arev in cooperative relation` wdth: the targets;

The invention' further consists in. the, construction, arrangement and coinbination'of parts as hereinafter set forth,y combined with means for returning toI operative position the targets and indicators. Y

n the accompanying draWings=,-

Figure 1 isa longitudiiwl section of 1 a game apparatus constructed in accordance vwith the invention;

Figure' 2 is' a detail sectional view of one of the'tzrrgets;

y Figure 3 is a rear elevation oaf indicators as are used with thestructure illustratori by F 1.;

Figure 4e illustrates a' fragmentary sectional View of a modification of the invention and l Figure 5 is a detail front elevati-on of a type of indicator used with the structure i'llustrated by Fig.y 4.

The game apparatus illustrated is designed to provide indicators or ligure dis- Il73,72, amd in Great; main. my C, H925v coimnectionsbeing suchth-et when the tai-giet is stru-ck, for instance,A by a bowling ball, it will ass-urne a horizontal position and serves, when in such position, as a continuation of the alle-y of. a length suieient to overlie a pocket or receptacle for bowling'balls orV the y like. The structure embodies means for retaining the target in horizontalposition, as well as in vertical position, by engagement with e catch maintained by a sha-ft located 4forward of and below the shaftA which. carries the targets,I the apparatus also having means which Whenactu'atedwill. resetthe targets und indicators.

The invention further consists in providmeansfor actuating individual indicators: released for exposure when a target is struck. f l

An: amusement apparatus. constructed to accord with my invention has. aV bowling alley or floor of suitable length and width, the. floor'of the alley 1 being inclined longitudinally from the players end upward to the target end, and below the floor and to one side thereof is a runway to receive balls which lieve been` played. Targets y 2 are mounted upon a transverse shaft 3 located forwardA of and below the front end of `the alley fbed Vand upon the sha-ft 3 is .rigidly secured a rearWardlye-Xtend-ng projection-'or arm 4,. and et right angles thereto there is formed uponf the target 2 an extension 5.'

Below and forward of Vthe shaft 3`Y is maintained `ashaft 7 which carriesa series of rigidly attached stop lugs 6,. the same being in the path of the projections 4 and'. 5. The shaftsare each provided with a Vdrum or .disk which is engagedby a.- conneetion for manually moving the-shaft having the proA jections 6: to effect a turn of the targets to an .elevated position and for holding the shaft aga-inst rotation when the target is in a horizontal position.

As shown by Fig. 1,. the shaft 7 is turned inf one direction by a driven belt 8A on shaft Q-haviIi-g ak pulley over which lis passed a belt 10=u The belt also engages a pulley on a shaft 11, said shaft having a. series of spaced cams 12 for engagement withprojections on crossed arms 13, vseid armsbeing pivoted LII upon a support 14, a spring being carried by said support for holding the arms in position to be engaged by their respective cams 12. ils illustrated by Figs. 1 and 3, rotatably mounted` indicators or signs 15' arecarried by shafts 1G and coiled springs 1? are attached to the shafts 16 and are of such 'conliguration that one end of the springs engages the signs or indicators to effect rotation of the saine. individually and simultaneously with movement of the target from a vertical position to a horizontal position, which itassunies when struck by a missile. Y

rlhe indicators 15 are preferably provided with laterally projecting' lues 15A which are positioned to overlie an t acent indicator, th'D purpose of the luggs beine; to prevent ro tation of the next indicator' thereto. rlhe shaft 11 havingY the cams 12 thereon vis actuated by a drum carried by the shaft and about which is passed a flexible connection 1S to which is attached a weight lili and when the shaft 11 is rotaie@l which project from the shaft will engage with pi'otuberances on the artis 125. rllliesc arins cross each other and ea h simultaneously moved by a spring carried by the support 14, the ends of the spring' engaging the arms 13. Movement ot' the arms `is restricted by engagement with the collars ol' the cams 12., and the ends of the arms ai'e provided with notches 131", a projectingI por* tion of the notches being; engaged by the opposite ediles of vthe indicators the indicators .in operation tui-nina' in the directionof the arrows shown in Fig. 1. The shafts 16 wliicl carry the ii fcators are provided with pulleys or sli-eaves which are connected by a cross belt. rlhe lower shaft 1G also provided with a sheave or drum from which extends a flexible coiinectioi'i attached to ii'ianually operated means for turningv the iudicators and at the saine time win-fling the turning'- springs therefor. Y

rllhe structure shown in Fia'. 2 such that when a target 2 is strucl; by a hall.` the pro- `iection 5 will be moved out of e with a stop 6, when the impact aml of the ball will move the tai-ret 'to a horizonH tal position. and when in such position, it will overlie a pocket 2li? which pocket coiiimunicates with the usual runway1 returning the balls to the front end of the alle); bed. llfhen a target is in a horizontal position, it will be retained iii such 'position by `e'invit); and the projection 5 will act as a stop by eiisagement with the under side of the forward end of the alley.` and wneii in a position, the i'iroiection il` wA 'cli is a spaced on the sliai't 3 will be ene proiection 6 on the shaft 7 which connected with the endless belt Si one o? the pulleys therefor being' driven by the belt 10 which moves the shaft 11 so that a parthe cams 12 neeaoee ticular cain will release an arm 13 and permit a seinirotation of one of the indicators.

15 to Yexpose a character7 ligure or marking thereon. The individual indicator so released is turned on its supportingl shaft 16 by a spring' 17, the indicator reii'iainiii` in such position until reset bv manual operation of ay lever having' several connections for operating` certain parts.

Adjacent to the rear orvplayers end of the runway 21 into which balls are deposited from the pocket 2O, there is fulcruined a lever 22 liaviiigI a segment or quadrant 22A, the lever also beine' connected to arms which carryka stop 23 for balls before they reach the end of the runway. The sto-p is of such construction as to permit the passage of balls beneath the saine' andbetweeu the arms' to whichthe stop is attached. The segment or quadrant to which the lcv-er is attached has attached thereto. a plurality of flexible connections as cords or wires. One of the connections 2st extends from au end of the arcuate segment 22A toa pulley on the shaft 3 for moving' the targets to a vertical positioii, and the opposite end of the segment has secured thereto a flexible connection for moving' aA pulley on shaft 'T to position the stop lugs (S so that they will be out of the path of the arm st and projection o of the target. Rotation of the shaft 7 moves an endless belt 8 which drives a belt 10 and pulley on shaft 11 to rewind a cord 18 to which is attached the weight k19. A connection 25 is connected at one end to the center portion of the segment and a guide pulley and from the pullev to one on the shaft 1G which carries the lower row of indi` cators, movement of such shaft being transmitted by means of a crossed beltto an upper shaft which carries an upper row of indicators, and by this connection, the indicators may be turned iii opposite directions.

By means of the flexible connections, the targets and indicators may be returned to position by the lever to coinii'ieiice a game, and when the upper end of the lever is moved rear 'ardt the balls will be allowed to pass the stop 23, after which the lever will be moved to position shown. when all of the connections as 24,. aud 2G will be slack.

Figs. 4t and 5 show an alternative embodi nient of my invention wherein the rear casing is provided with vertically movable iii dicators which slidev upon guide rods 31 and move by ,efravity to a position where they will be visible through 'ipeninfgs. The iiidicators have lugs 30A for determining the order of release thereof, and the indicators are supported by rock levers 32 carried by a transverse shaft, each lever having;v attached thereto a flexible connection which is guided through curved tubes 3%, the ends of the connections being.,` attached to movable lui) Cit

' be raised.

"Leganes catches''maintained in position by aspring to' be engaged by p-roieetio-ns on .the target on a shaft 3, as previously degets and indicators.

The apparatus is of' such. construction that. when a target is'struclfcfor moved to a horizontal position,V a corresponding indicator ivi ll be displayed, and in use, there will be a predetermined arrangement of the parts to vary vthe order in which the targets are to be moved. plaver may be allowed a certain number of ballsfvfhich may .be coin'itedbefore or after resetting` the'targets and indicators. y

t will be noted that the alley inclines upward from the players end to the target end; also that the targets are connected to supports located below' and beyond the end of the alley and form a continuation or extension thereof when in a horizontal position. Also, the balls drop in a pocket from the targets, and the resettingof the targets and the indicators is elfectedby movement.

of a single lever which also functions to hold played balls beyond reach of the players` until the resettinglever is moved.

Thev indicators may Ahave thereon either letters, figures or numerals, and the cams which control the release of the holding arms may be set to vary the release thereof, re-

' spective to a target struck.

lt will also be noted that the targets may be released by a very slight contact with a ball orvmissile aud that the inclinedalley introduces into the game a feature not found in ordinary bowlingalleys. Further, the width of the indicators may bear such relation to the Width of the targets that a ball may pass through spaces betiveen adjacent targets without striking the same, and va'- rious changes may be made as to specific construction of the parts and arrangement thereof.

I claim:

l. In a bowling game apparatus, an alley bed` a support maintained below one end of the alley bed, targets mounted for movement ou the support,projections on the targets for engagement with the under side of the alley bed to form a continuance of the alley bed when the targets are in substantially horizontal position.

i). lna bowling game apparatus, an alley bed. a receptacle for balls beyond one end of the alley bed, a support for targets, tar-V gets mounted on' the support, each target having a projecting portion for engagement Further, with the device shown,` a

bed, a target .snpportnag shaft Imving-pmwith-'the alley bed to maintain a target in position to horizontally span a space Ybetween the-alley bed and the receptacle. for balls..

,3. Inv a howling gamefappm-tns, an ,alley bed, a shaft Yfor targets below the alley-bed,

projections fxedly attached to the shaft, targets mounted for, movement upon-the shaft, projections-'on the targets forI engagement with the under sideof the end portion "of the alley bed when a target is in sub-` stantially horizontal position, projections vwhich are maintained in positivel engagement with said shaft,a 'driven shaft maintained adjacent to the shaft having'targets thereon,

projections. on the driven shaft for engagement `with the projections on the targets and on the shaft, the projections when-in engage'- ment restricting rotation of the drivenV shaft. 4i. 'In a bowling game apparatus, aai .alley jections fixedlylv attac-hed thereto,v .targets maintained in movement engagement with said shaft, projections :on the targets, aV

driven shaft provided with a pair of diverging projections for engagement-with projections on the target supporting shaftY and with the project-ions on the targets, movable indicators, and means for releasing the indicators operative upon movement of the driven shaft.

5. In a bowling game apparatus, an alley bed, shaft supports, shafts maintained by the supports and located below and beyond an end of the alley bed, targets mounted for movement upon one `of the shafts, projections Which extend from the targets, projections fixedly attached to the shaft which carries the targets, a driven shaft below the target carrying shaft,` projections thereon which are in line with the projections on the target carrying shaft, gravity operated means for moving the driven shaft a predetermined distance during movement ofthe target, in combination With a plurality7 of movable indicators which lare engaged by movement means for lholding the same against movement, except during the period of movement 0f a target, and .manually operated means for simultaneously-restoring the targets and the indicators to initial position.

6; In a bowling game apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of a Vplurality of targets and a corresponding plurality of indicators, projections on indicators for engagement with an adjacent indicator operatingl to prevent movement of the engaged indicator until a release thereof has been effected by the actuationv ofv a target.

7. The combination in a bowling game apparatus, an alley bed, a return Way for balls, targets pivotally supported beyond and below one end of the' alley bed and adapted to be moved by impactto position to form an ,wel i extension of thel alley bed, a receptacle `for balls, a ball return way, a lever having ball engaging means movable with the lever to ka 'position which serves as a stop for balls gets and releasable indicators, .releasing means for said indicators connected to said targets, said releasing' means comprising `,spring actuated means which engage with "the indicators to hold the same against 'movement, and a shatt having a plurality oi `projections thereon for engagement with the holdingmeans to efl'ect a release of an indicator operated b va change ot position of a target.

9. In a bowling game. an alley bed, a sha'l't located below and bevond one end of the alley bed, aV series ot projections which are liXedly att-ached to the shaft,`a series of targets mounted for movement on the shaft, projections on the targets which are `adapted to engage with the under side of the alley bed to restrict movement of the target beyond a horizontal position7 a driven shatthaving projections for engagement with the projections on the targets and the shaft, the parts being associated to permit movement of the driven shaft during change of position of a target from a vertical to a horizontal position, in combination with a plurality of movable indicators, means for restricting movement of the indicators, said means fbeing' actuated by a release of the driven shat't effective during' movement ot a target from a vertical to a horizontal position.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

GRANVILLE BRADSHAW.

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